University of Wisconsin System officials were surprised to learn Friday they need to take one-time budget cuts totaling $65.7 million over the next two years — on top of a base budget cut of $250 million, an email shows.

The Grand Rapids Press in its Oct. 2 editorial rightly points out that the cost of public higher education is an issue worthy of serious public discussion. As The Press observed, this need not be a debate about governance. Rather, it’s about what we can do together to make college more affordable.